IMO I don’t think Hawk is a spin-off since the events of the previous books are all (mostly) canon, the original flock are all in the book and there’s first person POV of Max (even if it’s only half).

The covers of Hawk and City of the Dead both say “A Maximum Ride Novel” and the tagline of City of the Dead is “Maximum Ride’s Flock Flies and Fights Again”.

That being said, on JP’s website the “Hawk” series and the “Maximum Ride” series are listed separately and Hawk just feels different to the other Maximum Ride books - Hawk feels much more grim and dystopian whereas to me, Maximum Ride always managed to have a light-heated vibe to it even though it was about a group of kids who were abused and experimented on for most of their lives.

I know some people consider it to be a spin-off in the same vein as When the Wind Blows/The Lake House and so don’t consider the events canon.

I wish I felt the same cos I loved the happy ending in Forever but I just don’t sadly.

What do y’all think about it?